January 4, 2010
I suppose the new year is as good a time as any to think about the approaching golden years for ourselves and loved ones. By golden I actually mean slightly past golden, as in old and decrepit (to quote my 92-year-old mother).
Mom calls her place “the old folks’ home.” She has her own apartment, and there’s a dining room that provides three meals a day (except Sunday) and weekly maid service. That’s it. To get more help, she needs to hire “room girls” or move to the wing that provides more care. Others call them assisted living facilities or adult care facilities.
North Carolina has just enacted tougher standards for “adult-care centers.” Up until now the highest rating was three stars, and 95% of the facilities met that standard. That represents 1,250 assisted-living centers and group homes across the state.
The new standards will take into account “recent penalties for violations such as medications errors and failure to stop residents from wandering.” Facilities will have to meet high standards for two years to qualify for a new fourth star.
Where to check for information?
If I can help you with your real estate needs, please visit www.JustCallPowers.com.
[Information from Raleigh News & Observer, 1/4/10.]
December 2, 2009
Not long ago I received an email that obviously set out to scare the bejeezus out of every homeowner. This email stated that the Cap and Trade legislation passed by Congress would require EVERY existing home to meet new energy standards before it can be sold.
Ah come on. Homeowners are one of the biggest interest groups out there. The proof for how much power this group wields is the fact that no one dares to interfere with the mortgage interest deduction. We homeowners are a muscular bunch, and no one is going to mess with our ability to sell our homes.
But don’t take my word for the falsity of the claim. Here is what Snopes.com has to say about it–
http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/captrade.asp
For sane and sensible help with selling your home or buying a new one, please visit JustCallPowers.com.
October 9, 2008
As times get tough, it becomes increasingly more important to protect yourself financially. The bad guys are out there, and they will be thinking night and day about how to relieve you of your money. I was listening to Clark Howard on the radio yesterday, and he recommends a nifty way to prevent identity theft.
You are entitled to one free credit report per year, and there are three companies that keep track of your credit — EquiFax, TransUnion and Experian. What Clark recommends is that we all visit annualcreditreport.com and sign up to receive one credit report from one of the companies. Four months later you go back to the web site and order a credit report from one of the two remaining companies. Four months after that, you go back for the last company. At the end of one year you’re right back where you started and your order a report from the first company, and so on. This method is totally free and will provide a good level of protection. For more information visit clarkhoward.com.
One other thing to consider is possibly putting a freeze on your credit. It’s not free and it takes some effort to implement, but if you are nervous about someone gaining access to your credit, visit this site to learn more — http://clarkhoward.com/topics/credit_freeze_states.html
If you are looking for a home in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs, Fuquay Varina or any other Triangle community, visit www.justcallpowers.com.
June 23, 2008
The Raleigh News & Observer has been working with the Raleigh and Cary, North Carolina police departments to put together crime maps of those areas. The data is kept up to date, and this is a terrific tool.
If there have been a rash of vehicle break-ins in your neighborhood, you might not know about it until you happen to speak to a neighbor who happened to speak to another neighbor who just happened to live next door to a victim. With this map, you can plug in your address and see if any crimes have occured nearby without waiting for the grapevine.
Or… if you are thinking of moving to this area, you can see what kinds of crimes tend to happen in what areas. From this, you can determine where you might not want to live.
http://apps.newsobserver.com/know/crime/index.php
To search for available listings in this area, please visit my web site — JustCallPowers.com
June 11, 2008
Well, here’s a new one for you. Suppose you pull up to a gas pump, insert your debit card, and begin pumping gas. I never gave this whole thing a lot of thought, but if I had, I would have assumed that after you’d finished pumping, the machine would charge your card and that’s that. Well …. yes and no.
The part I had never considered is the gap between the time your card is initially swiped and the point at which the machine knows how much to charge you. What happens if there’s not a valid account to back up the card? What if you pump more gas than there is money available to pay for it?
According to an article in the Raleigh News & Observer (June 10, 2008), “When a consumer uses a card at a gas pump, most gas stations freeze the availability of $1 as a confirmation that a valid checking account exists. The station later debits the actual amount of the gas purchased from the account.”
What’s new is that some stations, Exxon and Shell for now, will freeze as much as $90 in your bank account to cover the purchase. They give your bank electronic instructions that this money is not available for any other purpose until they release the freeze, which can be several hours later, or more. If your checking account has a balance of $100 and you buy $25 worth of gas now and 15 minutes later try to pay $25 for lunch, you could be out of luck.
Beware.
On another note — To find your new home in the Raleigh/Durham area, visit www.justcallpowers.com.
March 10, 2008
I know this doesn’t have much to do with real estate, but I’m a big fan of people keeping as much of their own money as possible. I take a dim view of gift cards that lose their value over time to hidden fees, and I’m even less enthused over gift cards that become worthless.
There have been several articles and news stories recently on a new wrinkle. What happens to your gift card if the company goes bankrupt? Sharper Image announced last month that it would not be accepting their own gift cards, at least temporarily. What???? Apparently gift cards are a “loan” to the company; they are not the same as cash.
I guess there are a couple of morals here:
- Use up any gift cards as quickly as possible.
- Go back to giving cash or checks.
P.S.
If you are thinking about buying or selling property in and around Raleigh, North Carolina, please visit JustCallPowers.com.
December 26, 2007
Freddie Mac is one of the nation’s largest investors in real estate mortgages. As a public service they have produced a video to help homeowners avoid the vultures who would steal your home or your equity.
If you are having trouble making your payments, please watch this video –
http://www.youtube.com/avoidfraud
Then give me a call. I am a licensed real estate broker and a member of the Association of Realtors. If it turns out to be the best thing for you, I will represent you while we both work to sell your home to a legitimate buyer. At every step, things will be done the right way, and I will do my darnedest to help you come out of this with as much money and as painlessly as possible.
At the very least, you can simply talk to me. It’s free. Please visit JustCallPowers.com.
December 26, 2007
I’m starting to hear rumbles of recession. If the country slips into one, it will be even worse news for people having trouble with their mortgages. If you find yourself having to make the choice of making your payment or putting food on the table, please call your lender immediately and explain what’s going on. Don’t be embarrassed; they’ve seen it all. Moreover, it’s expensive for them to foreclose, and they’d just as soon help you over the hump.
Be very wary of the following:
- Posters on telephone poles, median strips and bus stops offering help.
- Any company or individual that wants you to transfer your property to them.
- Any company or individual who says they will make your payments for you and rent your property back to you.
- Any company or individual who promises to make your payments and pay you what’s left over after the propery is sold.
- Any company or individual who calls themselves a mortgage consultant or foreclosure service.
- Any company or individual who collects an upfront fee for helping you.
There are a slew of vultures out there eager to make off with your equity. Some schemes are quite sophisticated, and the people pitching them are very slick.
If you can’t work out a plan with your bank, you can still avoid foreclosure. You need to talk to someone who subscribes to a code of ethics and is governed by strict laws. Someone like me who is Realtor and a licensed real estate broker with decades of experience. Someone who is truly on your side. I only get paid if I help you sell your property, and I will NEVER charge you anything in advance. Please visit JustCallPowers.com and send me an email.
May 25, 2007
Do NOT pay anyone to provide you with a certified copy of your deed.
I have bumped into this story a couple of times recently. I just saw a link on the Wake County Register of Deeds website, and I was prompted to write this. It’s easy to find copies of deeds for many counties online. The cost to you is simply the cost of paper and ink. If you absolutely, positively must have a certified copy of a deed, most counties charge just a few dollars. It’s NOT necessary to pay someone to do this for you, especially not $50 or more.
If you’d like to read the article, please follow this link –
http://web.co.wake.nc.us/rdeeds/Articles/property_deed_scheme_spreading.htm
If you have questions about this subject or to visit links to many counties in North Carolina, please visit JustCallPowers.com.
April 19, 2007
Yeah, and I’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn for sale. An article in the Raleigh News & Observer (4/1/07) recently discussed the “We Buy Homes” subject. You know, those flyers stapled to utility poles saying “We Buy Homes — Instant Cash.”
This is how the scams work –
1) You sell your home to a crook who promises that you can rent it from them and eventually buy it back. They charge you way too much rent, crank up the repurchase price, and you’re sunk.
2) The crook “buys” your home from you by offering to take over your payments. You give them a deed for the property, and you assume you are out of the picture. Not exactly. You are still very much responsible for the mortgage. The crook rents the property, pockets the money, and never makes a mortgage payment. In the end, you’ve lost your home, lost your credit and are still liable for the mortgage.
3) A crook offers to help you save your credit and lower your monthly payment…. for a sizeable fee.
If you find yourself in a bind with your property, or if you know someone in this situation, contact me and I will give you the true facts and honest truth. For FREE. Please visit JustCallPowers.com.
